Espolon Tequila Distillery Tour
Travel Distilled tours the Espolon tequila distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, and does a tequila tasting with their Master Distiller, Cirilo Oropeza.
One of the perks of writing about drink is that when I recently toured the Espolon tequila distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, I got to do the tequila tasting at the end with the man who actually makes the tequila, Master Distiller, Cirilo Oropeza. Cirilo was brought to the distillery in 1996 to create Espolon from scratch, with the tequila first making it onto the market in 1998.
‘Ours is a small distillery,’ he tells me, ‘but it is a distillery with heart.’
Espolon Tequila Distillery Tour
It’s also a distillery with a sense of humor and a distinct identity. When you arrive you’re greeted by a skeleton outside the main entrance, typical of the style and artwork that Espolon uses. An espolon, incidentally, is the spur on a rooster’s leg, one of the ‘pelea de gallos’ or fighting cocks that play a big part in Mexico’s traditions.
Espolon Artwork
The bold Espolon style is inspired by the work of a Mexican artist and engraver, José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), who made satirical and political points by the use of skulls and skeletons. Espolon draws on his style and creates a different story for each expression of its tequila. The label on a bottle of Blanco, for example, tells the story of Mexico’s campaign for independence from Spain.
The Espolòn Añejo label depicts the real story of the Mexican Hat Dance, a dance that used to be far more risqué than it is today, and was once banned by the authorities.
Tasting Espolon
However, what’s on the label is irrelevant if what’s inside the bottle is no good, and as Cirilo is still producing Espolon tequilas twenty years after joining the company, he’s clearly doing something right. So it was a pleasure to get his insights into the smells and flavors of his various tequilas, all of which are 100% blue agave. You soon discover how refined the Master Distiller’s sense of smell and taste are, when he begins by nosing the Blanco and I try to catch the subtleties that he’s getting.
‘With the Blanco,’ he says, ‘ there is a citrus smell, especially lemon and lime, and there’s also earth and grass. The taste is smooth, not too alcoholic, and it has a velvety taste to it.’
Looking at the Espolon Reposado, Cirilo explains that the straw color comes from the tannins in the barrels: ‘We never add any extra ingredients or coloring.’
Nosing the Reposado, Cirilo experiences ‘cooked agave, vanilla, banana, apple, and pear.’ As for the taste, Cirilo says that it’s ‘softer than the Blanco but has the same flavors as the aromas, and a little nuttiness too.’
We then try one of the tequilas that Espolon has been experimenting with, a Reposado Chardonnay. They also have a Reposado Bourbon, aged for an extra 1-2 months in barrels from Wild Turkey.
‘The chardonnay,’ Cirilo explains, ‘spends at least two months in American oak barrels then a month extra ageing in French chardonnay barrels, which give the tequila a more golden color. With the aroma I can sense butter, apple, coconut, and some melon in there too. The taste is sweeter than the nose, with the alcohol more forward too.’
The Reposado Chardonnay, by the way, is only available in Mexico, where they prefer to drink Reposado tequilas. Overall, though, Espolon sells more tequila in Australia (population 25 million) than it does in Mexico (population 129 million)!
Next we move on to Espolon Añejo, which spends eleven months in American oak barrels then an extra month in bourbon barrels. The aroma, says Cirilo, is ‘woody, vanilla, banana, chocolate,’ while the taste is of ‘chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, and a little bit of coffee.’
Finally we taste the Extra Añejo tequila.
‘This spends over six years in new American oak barrels,’ explains Cirilo. ‘It produces a more intense color, getting to be the color of a Scotch whisky. The aroma is of dried fruit, fried banana, figs, similar to a Scotch whisky. And to me the taste is the same as the aroma.’
Espolon may be on the small side when it comes to tequila distilleries, but Cirilo is right. It does have heart. And soul.
More Information on the Espolon Tequila Distillery Tour
Visit the Espolon website.
All photos © Mike Gerrard.
If you can’t visit the distillery, you can buy some Espolon tequilas at Master of Malt.
More Information on the Espolon Tequila Distillery Tour
Visit the Espolon website.
All photos © Mike Gerrard.
If you can’t visit the distillery, you can buy some Espolon tequilas at Master of Malt.
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